ICE Expands Thomson Reuters Data Tools for Minor and Fraud Investigations
ICE is preparing to renew a major data tools contract with Thomson Reuters Special Services, according to WIRED, expanding access to systems the agency says are needed to identify unaccompanied minors and fraud. The reported contract would cost $25 million per year for up to five years.
The contract matters because it sits at the intersection of immigration enforcement, child welfare and commercial data surveillance.
WIRED reported that the tools include access to proprietary databases and services tied to continuous monitoring, court records, real-time alerts and risk scoring. 404 Media separately reported that DHS planned to pay Thomson Reuters $125 million for access to personal data for voter fraud and immigration fraud work, based on procurement documents it reviewed.
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Unaccompanied children are generally handled by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is part of HHS. That makes ICE involvement especially sensitive because sponsors are often relatives or family contacts who may fear immigration scrutiny if they come forward. WIRED reported that ICE, DHS and HHS did not respond to requests for comment before publication.
Kids in Need of Defense told WIRED that the line between ORR and ICE has become harder to distinguish and said longer custody stays create health, safety and due process concerns. KIND said the average ORR custody stay exceeded 190 days by spring 2026.
Thomson Reuters has defended CLEAR as a tool for legitimate investigations. The company has also said it prohibits using CLEAR to identify and locate noncriminal immigrants for deportation solely because of immigration status.
The next question is whether lawmakers, privacy groups or federal watchdogs seek the full procurement record and demand limits on how ICE can use commercial data in child sponsor vetting.
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